


In dire need of assistance

by bslytherclaw



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Lams, Foster Care AU, Gen, Highschool AU, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Modern AU, NB Laf, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Washingdad, how does one tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-02-07 10:32:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12839325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bslytherclaw/pseuds/bslytherclaw
Summary: Alex knew this new home would suck. He’s gone through enough to know that things would go downhill at one point.But maybe the people around him could make this all a bit better.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve never attempted to write fic but I was procrastinating so... here goes nothing? This probably (most likely) sucks but whatever right? Proofread it a couple of times so hopefully the grammar isn’t too bad, but if it is, just leave a comment or something. (I suck at this I know)
> 
> Don’t exactly know where I’m going with this and I’ll try to update as often as I can, but if you do like it, comments and kudos are always appreciated! I’m sure I’ll be able to update faster if I know people are actually reading this.
> 
> Hope y’all enjoy :)

One more year. One last placement. He had to make this one last.

That’s what Alex thinks over and over as he drives up to his new foster home. In one year, he’ll be able to go off to college and put the foster system behind him forever. Sure, he’s still 16, but being able to skip a grade has its benefits. He’ll just get a job, apply for scholarships and get emancipation. His plan would have to work. It was all he had after all. That single thought kept him going through all the awful foster homes, and all those times he just wanted all the pain to end. There was hope for the future and no way in hell was he going to throw that away.

But now, he just has to make it through this one (hopefully) last home.

Talk less, smile more.

The words ring in his head. He never shuts up. He couldn’t. Silence was bad. Silence meant your father had left. Silence meant your mother had long past embraced death as a dear old friend. Silence meant walking in and seeing your cousin hanging by a rope.

But, he had to be quiet for once. Had to ignore the panic blooming in his chest, and the need to say more. To speak out, to fight. He could do it. Alex had to.

He’s determined to make this placement work.

He just really hopes this family isn’t so bad.

It’s a huge house, with thick bushes surrounding it, and a long winding driveway leading up to the garage. He doesn’t belong here, the scrappy orphan immigrant. The people here are obviously rich, why would they bother with him?

The car pulls to a stop, and Alex can feel the anxiety coursing through him. He bites his lip, a nervous habit he’s picked up over the years.

“Alex, listen to me please” Nathaniel, his social worker tells him, with wide pleading eyes. He hadn’t even realized Nathaniel was trying to grab his attention. “I had to pull a lot of strings with this one, just try to make this work.”

Don’t fuck it up, is what he’s basically saying.

Not even the guy who supposedly stayed by his side the whole time can stand him.

“Alex?” His thoughts are interrupted by Nathaniel, who is still looking at him with those big brown eyes.

He hesitantly nods, fiddling with his sleeves. No use making promises he probably won’t keep. His social worker sighs, but gets out of the car anyways.

Alex is slow to follow, quietly making his way up to the front door and dragging his backpack that carries all his meager belongings along with him. It’s cold out, and the cool breeze bites into his skin, leaving goosebumps.

It was never cold in the island. He remembers the times he and his Mama would walk down the beach, the calming sounds of the waves in the background.

Stop it. He chides himself. No use dwelling in the past.

Nathaniel urges him to knock on the wide, intricate looking door. Everything seems expensive and fragile, as if even the huge door would fall to pieces because of Alex, but he complies anyways, knocking three times before stepping away and making himself look as small as possible.

Quick, precise footsteps are heard from inside the house getting closer to the door. Alex prepares himself for the worst, sucking in a breath as the door opens, revealing a tall man with a strong build and a young, aristocratic face. He’s smiling, but his eyes are cold and calculating. He has an aura that demands respect, shoulders stiff and posture straight.

“Why hello! I’m George King, and you must be Alexander Hamilton” His words are clipped and brisk and Alex can hear a faint, carefully hidden British accent. He pulls his hand out for Alex to shake, and he hesitantly takes it, noticing the man’s grip is almost strong enough to hurt.

“Alex” he mutters quietly, retreating even further into himself.

King frowns and leans in to Alex’s height.

“I’m sorry?” He asks, still frowning.

“You can call me Alex” he repeats, a bit stronger and more certain this time.

King frowns and ignores him, sharp eyes cutting into Alex’s soul.

God, why can’t he just shut up?. He’s making this worse on himself.

King’s gaze scans over Alex, and once deeming him unimportant, looks at Nathaniel instead. He grins again, and his teeth are almost shining. Everything about the man screams “arrogant rich prick”.

“Will that be all then?” King asks his social worker.

“Ah.. yes. I better get going. Alex- be good. Here’s my phone number if you need me.” Nathaniel hands Alex a post-it with some scribbled numbers, and wishes Alex goodbye with an awkward pat on the back.

Alex mutters a quick goodbye with a halfhearted wave, and just like that, Nathaniel is gone, leaving him defenseless with this stranger he’ll be living with for who knows how long.  
King places a hand on his shoulder, and if he noticed Alex’s flinch, he doesn’t acknowledge it.

“Will you come in then? I’ll show you to your room. I can take that for you if you’d like.”  
He takes the small piece of paper with his social worker’s number on it, and slips it into his pocket, not even giving Alex a chance to respond. Alex knows he won’t be seeing it again.

He’s stuck there wether he likes it or not.

He knew that wasn’t true, but it’s still disheartening to have had King take so much control over his life in such a short amount of time, even if it is just a slip of paper.

Alex steps over the threshold, taking a deep breath and analyzing the house he’ll be staying at.

The inside looks larger than the outside, if that’s even possible, with huge windows and a fancy looking dining room off to the corner. Most of the lights are off, so the moonlight filters in and bathes the house with a serene yet solemn mood.

“Alexander.” A sharp voice cuts through his thoughts. Oh shit. He hadn’t even noticed that his foster father was already up the stairs, glaring at him, and tapping his fingers on the smooth wood banister overlooking the first floor.

Alex hurriedly climbs up the stairs, not meeting George’s eyes. As soon as he reaches his foster father, King sharply turns and walks down a hallway, footsteps clicking behind him. Alex follows, keeping his head down.  
King opens the door to a bare looking room, twin bed in the corner and a dresser on the wall opposite to it.

“This is your new room, Alexander.” he pronounces Alex’s name sharply, clearly ignoring the boy’s earlier request. “Bathroom’s next door.”

Alex nods and mutters a quick thank you, fidgeting under King’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Well, goodnight then Alexander.” He says and shuts the door, footsteps fading down the hall.

Alex can already see this placement won’t turn out well. He’s ten minutes in, and King already has an intimidating vibe. He can’t even look at Alex without seeming disgusted, as if the mere presence of the boy disrupted his perfect and orderly life. He didn’t even offer Alex dinner.

At that, Alex’s stomach grumbles. Damn. When was the last time he ate? Right, yesterday before he left his old foster home. It’s not like he can’t handle hunger. Hell, being in the foster system taught him to be able to tolerate going without food for a few days at a time. It’s just the promise the thought holds. If King hasn’t even shared some companionship to Alex, not even bothering to make a good first impression, he’s in for a hell of a ride.

Just keep your head down, Hamilton. Don’t give him a reason to come after you.

He can do this. He has to.

At that disheartening thought, Alex picks up his notebook from his bag, one of the few things he’s kept from the island.  
He finds a pen, and sitting on the creaky bed with the moonlight coming in through the window, Alex loses himself to his words.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> George Washington gets unexpected news. What will he and his makeshift family make of it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo yo yo!! I’m back y’all. Like I said last chapter, I don’t really know where I’m going with this story, and I’m kinda making it up as I go, so hopefully it’s not too messy? My goal right now is to hopefully introduce all the characters while keeping the plot moving, and I’m really hoping I succeed. 
> 
> Anyways... on to the story!

Washington was a simple man. He didn’t allow himself grand visions of glamour, opting to live a calm and uneventful life. He had a great job, a marvelous wife, and he was happy.

But, not everyone always gets what they want, now do they? 

He and Martha never signed up for what came along the years of their marriage, the challenges they never imagined having to go through. In the end, everything got resolved, and did they regret a single one of their decisions?

Hell no.

So, as George sat in the dining room grading papers, he couldn’t help but smile at the 3 laughing teenagers walking in the house. John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan, and Lafayette. The three of them had become known as the “revolutionary set” of the school, and even teachers had gotten used to calling them that when ranting tiredly about what kind of mischief they were getting into in the teacher’s lounge. George always stifled his chuckles while taking a sip of his coffee when that happened. The three did practically spend most of their time at his house, after all. He had grown accustomed to all the chaos they caused on the daily.

Lafayette noticed George first, and waved animatedly at him, sporting a huge grin. 

“Bonjour Papa!” 

Lafayette had immigrated from France years ago, but they refused to greet anyone with anything other than French phrases, to George’s amusement. 

“Mornin’ Mr. Washington!” A deep voice called out, its owner then appearing from the other room. Hercules Mulligan, a tall and buff senior who at first glance appeared scary and threatening, but is a huge teddy bear inside. He slings an arm around Lafayette’s shoulders, who smiled brightly up at him. 

John appeared a few seconds later, apparently having a fit with his shoes at the door. The other two of the group laughed at John, who was now attempting to hide a deep blush. He was carrying his signature sketchbook, and a pencil he probably forgot to take out of his wild, curly hair was tucked behind his ear. 

“What’s got you three in such a good mood?” George asks them, sporting a small smile and twiddling a pencil around his fingers. 

“A boy just moved in near John’s house!” Lafayette exclaimed excitedly. “He’s so, how you say, tiny”

“Laf, shut up, we both know you can speak English better than all of us probably can.” Hercules poked Laf on the side, who slapped his hand away and rolled their eyes with a fond expression. 

“Do you think he’ll come to our school?” That was John, who had already made himself comfortable on the seat across Washington’s, fixing something with one of his newest drawings. 

George hummed in response, and opened his emails. Sure enough, the newest one was a message from the school about a new student who would be joining them on January 8th. 

“He’ll be coming on the first day after winter break” George responded, scanning the email for more information on the boy. 

“It was odd though, he moved into King’s house.” Hercules added, scrunching his nose in disgust. King wasn’t exactly known as the most fun of neighbors to have. He would yell at any kid making too much noise outside, or any person who even dare to step too close to his yard. 

“Foster care?” John asked, looking up from his drawing. Hercules and Lafayette quieted down too, curiosity spiked. Lafayette’s brow furrowed, concern flooding his features. Lafayette may have escaped the horrors of foster care, but that didn’t stop them from hearing the whispers from bitter children who were moved away from abusive homes before Lafayette was adopted by the Washingtons. 

Washington shrugged, once again scanning the email to see if he had missed any information. 

“We’ll meet him next week, and we’ll see. Maybe he’s just a cousin or a niece of King’s or something like that.” Hercules said, flopping down on the couch and going through the family’s collection of Disney movies. Lafayette was quick to follow, already starting an argument on wether the trio should watch Beauty and the Beast or The Little Mermaid. 

John only rolled his eyes, standing up from his spot at the table and making himself comfortable on the armchair by the fireplace, not really caring about the movie options, instead focusing on finishing his drawing.

It was funny how fast they could go from talking about one thing to another. Not even a minute ago they were bouncing around, talking about the new kid, then turning to being worried, and soon after arguing about Disney movies. Nothing could hold their attention for long, it seemed.

George smiled at the oddly domestic scene playing out in front of him. After having finally picked a movie, (“Just put on The Incredibles for God’s sake”) Lafayette chose to be sprawled out on Hercules’s lap, who tried to look mad at it, but failed miserably. John abandoned his drawing, and decided to entertain the two by watching the movie with them.

The three teenagers gave light to his and Martha’s life, and yes, that may sound cliché, but the way things had turned out for them couldn’t have been better. 

When Martha arrived home from work, sighing tiredly and muttering about the “stupid imbeciles, I swear..” he only smiled and gave her a kiss on the cheek, hugging her as they surveyed the teenagers in the living room.

And later that night, when everyone was already asleep, John and Hercules having made their way back home hours before, George’s mind skipped back to the email he had received earlier.

Alexander Hamilton.

And as he sat in the dark, laptop screen lighting up the room, Washington couldn’t help but get the feeling things would be changing soon. Why this boy he hadn’t even met was enough to strike such feelings inside him, he didn’t know. What he did know for sure was that they would get through it together. They always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woooo! So what’d you think? How cringey was it? 
> 
> I try to update regularly, and I don’t really have a schedule yet, as I’m just trying to get the first parts of the story done and over with before winter break. If I don’t update, it’s probably because school got in the way of things. (I’m writing this as I have a whole essay to finish by tomorrow morning. Oops.) 
> 
> The first few chapters are gonna be kinda short by the way. (sorry about that) Like I said, I’m just trying to get the first few parts over with and then dive in to the longer chapters once I have more time in my hands.
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! Hope y’all enjoyed! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio meets the new student, Alexander Hamilton, who seems to be a lot more than what catches the eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm back!
> 
> Sorry I'm a bit late in updating, but my computer broke down on Friday, and then I got sick so I was unable to write.
> 
> Hope the *slightly* longer chapter made up for it though!
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> (By the way, since I was using my old computer, my Portuguese autocorrect was still on, so if there are any obvious spelling and grammar mistakes, just tell me.)

The following week passed by fast, in Lafayette’s opinion. One might have thought that the prospect of meeting someone new in their small town in Virginia might have made time go by painstakingly slow, but Lafayette had enjoyed their time with the rest of their friends. Going out on walks in the park with the brisk, cold air biting their noses as their small, tight knit group all smiled and laughed together. Meeting up with everyone in the coffee shop, causing mischief in stores, getting kicked out of such stores. (Much to their parent’s dismay.)

So, as winter break ended and the New Year came, Lafayette couldn’t help but be a little disappointed at the reminder of school. But, as they walked in to the building swarming with kids, snow crunching beneath their feet, Lafayette remembered Alexander Hamilton, the new student who’d showed up and walked in George King’s house in the middle of the night around a week ago and hadn’t been seen since, despite living 5 houses down John’s. 

Lafayette now had a new sense of purpose as they roamed the school hallways in search of their friends. After hearing familiar laughter, Lafayette rounded the corner and came face to face with no one other than their boyfriend, Hercules. 

Lafayette’s face split into a wide grin, and they enveloped Hercules in a large hug.

“Herc, mon amour!” They released the chuckling boy to look at his face.

“Laf, it’s like you haven’t seen me in weeks, I talked to you last night.” Hercules rolled his eyes, but a fond smile crept up his face.

“Will you lovebirds cut it out for just a second? You’re making us single, lonely people feel bad!” Called out a teasing voice.

“Hey, John” Hercules said, trying to balance himself with Laf still wrapped around his side.

John walked up to the two, grinning. His eyes suddenly widened, as if an idea had struck him, and he looked around, as if expecting to see someone.

“You haven’t seen the new kid yet, have you?” He looked up at the two expectantly. 

Hercules, in turn, looked around and hummed, and when not finding what he was looking for, frowned and looked down at John.

“No, sorry man.” Hercules shrugged and Lafayette shook their head. 

“Why? Are you.. interested, mon ami?”Lafayette teased, waggling their eyebrows and smirking at John. 

“What? No! No! Let’s just get to class, you’re full of bullshit Laf.” John retorted, albeit hiding a small blush.  
“Whatever you say, John.” Hercules chuckled, and looped an arm around Lafayette’s shoulders, the three making their way to class.

It was funny to see all the students coming back from break, Lafayette thought. Most were grumbling and complaining to their friends about how early it was, and how they would do anything to get out of this godforsaken building once and for all. 

Lafayette didn’t mind school, if they were being honest. They just hated the early mornings and some of the people who attended it, but they really didn’t mind all the work and stress that came with it. (It was more like their constant energy and happiness kept everything at bay, if they were being honest with themselves.) They were happy, and being in school in America just served to remind them how much they had accomplished these past few years. They arrived in this country, not even knowing basic phrases of the English language, and after struggling over verbs and the correct pronunciation of words, managed to rise beyond everyone’s expectations.

So, as Lafayette walked in to his foster father’s classroom, they couldn’t help but smile fondly at the man who helped them and accepted them no matter what. Sure, George Washington could be a bit oblivious at times, but he was a brilliant man that cared for his family and his students in a manner that Lafayette had never seen before. 

George waved and smiled at the three, who smiled back and took their usual seats by the back of the class.

The classroom was starting to fill in with kids, some excitedly telling their friends what they did or got on Christmas, while others just sat quietly and read a book or flipped through their phones before class started. 

Lafayette moved their attention from their surroundings to the now bickering Hercules and John. 

“It’s simple John! Ariel just wanted to be with the love of her life, and the movie shows us that we can never lose faith in our dreams no matter how lost we may feel. Belle just had Stockholm syndrome you dumbass!” Hercules waved his hands around animatedly, as if that would make John understand his point better. 

“That is the most half-assed comment to ever come out of your mouth.” John laughed at Hercules, who just huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. 

Lafayette rolled their eyes and faced away from them, now absorbing the lesson plan Washington was writing up on the board. Grabbing their notebook, they almost missed the teen hovering by the door. 

Lafayette elbowed Hercules and tapped John on the shoulder, who complained, but quieted down as he saw what Lafayette was gesturing to. 

The unfamiliar teen walked in and hesitantly called out for Washington, who smiled politely at him and took the slip of paper that was being handed to him. Apprehension filled Lafayette as they watched their foster father’s face light up, now full on smiling at the wary looking teen. George held out a hand for Alexander to shake, who hesitantly took it, looking up at Washington and giving him a tight lipped smile. Lafayette watched as George scanned over the classroom looking for an available seat for Alexander.

Lafayette managed to make eye contact with George, and gestured to the seat in front of them. George chuckled and shook his head, but told Alexander to sit there nonetheless. 

As the teen approached, the three ducked their heads down and pretented to be looking at their feet. As Alexander sat down, John looked up from his seat next to Lafayette, and pointed his head at Alex, clearly telling them to say hi. 

Lafayette rolled their eyes for what seemed like the milionth time that day, but cleared their throat and addressed Alexander.

“You must be Alexander, non?” Alexander turned around, and narrowed his violet blue eyes. He was wearing an oversized hoodie that only served to dramatize his short stature, and his dark hair was tied up in a messy bun. After a few seconds of careful consideration, (which Lafayette found odd, because really, who took a few seconds to plan out a response to such a simple question?) he smiled politely at Lafayette and nodded. 

“Alexander Hamilton, but you can call me Alex. And you are..?” Lafayette grinned broadly at Alex with a mischevious sparkle in their eyes, and responded:

“Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de Lafayette, but you can call me Lafayette or Laf. They/them pronouns please.” Lafayette continued to smile, but they couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. Had they overstepped? Too much information at once? Damn it Lafayette. 

But, to Lafayette’s immediate relief, Alex just laughed, and gave Lafayette a heart warming smile.

“Do you always introduce yourself with your full name to strangers?” Alex questioned, a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“They do it to intimidate people, but don’t mind Laf, they wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Hercules responded from beside Alex. “I’m Hercules, and this is John. You can call me Herc. I’ve had enough of Disney jokes to last a lifetime.” 

Alex once again laughed and shook Herc’s hand. He waved at John, who had looked up from his sketchbook (as if he hadn’t been listening in to the conversation the whole time) and smiled shyly at Alex. 

“Tu es si petit! J'ai enfin trouvé quelqu’un de plus petit que John!” Lafayette admonished, not expecting to be understood by Alex, whose expression switched to one of mock offense, and exclaimed:

“Je ne suis pas petite! Tu es juste grand.” Alex placed a hand under his chin, as if challenging Lafayette to contradict him. 

“Tu parle français?” Lafayette’s eyes were wide, and they were smiling brightly at the teen in front of them, ignoring his earlier comment. 

“Clairement” Was the only response they got from Alex. 

“Oh! But this is so exciting! I’ve never met anyone who spoke French fluently! These two,” and Lafayette pointed an accusing finger at John and Hercules, who feigned innocence. “don’t even want to try to learn.”

Alex looked like he was about to say something, but it was at that moment that George decided to speak out.

“Alright class, let’s get started!” George called from the front of the room. Everyone immediately went silent at the teacher’s voice. If there was one thing George Washington was good at, it was maintaining a level of friendliness with students while also gaining their respect. It was one of the many things Lafayette knew other teachers were jealous of, as most couldn’t get through a whole page worth of material without having to demand quiet from the high schoolers multiple times. 

“I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break, and I’m delighted to inform all of you that we have a new face among us.” All eyes turned to Alex, who grimaced at the attention, but kept his posture straight and chin up. 

“Alexander, right?” George asked. Alex cringed at the name, and responded with a quiet and somehow polite, yet forceful “Alex, please.”

George smiled, and Lafayette couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as their foster father didn’t ask any stupid questions like, “tell us a couple facts about yourself!” and instead turned around to start teaching.

Alex seemed relieved too, and his posture relaxed. The boy pulled out a notebook from his bag, and twirled a pen around his fingers as George started the lesson. 

Even though Lafayette had only known Alex for a few minutes, they couldn’t help but be intrigued by the teen. Maybe it was the way he held himself. Calm, yet constantly alert, as if ready to run at any moment. Or maybe it was just the way John kept glancing at Alex every few minutes, tapping his pencil on the desk anxiously and blushing when he realized Lafayette had caught him staring. They smiled to themselves, shaking their head, and forcing their mind to focus on the lesson. 

And so it was, without a shadow of a doubt, that Lafayette invited Alex to sit with them at lunch as soon as class ended.

At least John would enjoy the company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!! 
> 
> You got through another hopefully not so terrible chapter!
> 
> All the French words are from Google translate by the way, so their mistake not mine! Having Portuguese as my first language does help a bit in understanding what some of the words and phrases mean, but when it comes to grammar…. well, ya know.
> 
> Comment down below what you think! All your great commentary always brings a smile to my face, and I'm so happy to see that people are actually somewhat??? Enjoying this??? Wow!
> 
> Thanks for reading, and see you soon!
> 
> French translations:
> 
> “Tu es si petit! Jái enfin trouvé quelqu’un de plus petit que John!”- "You are so small! I've finally found someone smaller than John!"
> 
> “Je ne suis pas petite! Tu es juste grand.”- "I am not small! You're just tall."
> 
> “Tu parle français?”- "You speak French?"
> 
> "Clairement"- "Clearly"


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex spends the day with the trio, and John tries to figure out the mystery that is one Alexander Hamilton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who’s back y’all??
> 
> Sorry for the long wait! I just wanted to make sure this chapter was at least okay after making you guys sit tight for so long. 
> 
> Thank you for all the support and consideration I got from each and every one of you when I took this break. Seriously, you guys are AMAZING. 
> 
> Well then, there it is, hope you guys enjoy!

John was totally and completely fascinated by one Alexander Hamilton.

Sure, he’d only met the dude a few hours ago, but seeing Alex break out of his shell bit by bit was truly enthralling, and John held on to the boy’s every word. 

As they sat down to eat lunch at the school cafeteria, the trio ended up figuring out the rest of Alex’s schedule; which consisted of mostly advanced classes (to no one’s surprise) and a couple shared ones between each other. 

Alex, as they were quick to find out, is incredibly smart. If the sheer amount of advanced classes the boy was taking wasn’t a dead give away, the look of absolute knowledge Alex’s eyes held might be enough to convince even Burr that Alex was brilliant. 

(Not that John was staring at Alex’s stormy blue eyes. That would have been weird. Ha.)

The seemingly careless way Alex threw words around, not even noticing how eloquent his sentences were captivated John to a point where he was nodding along to everything Alex said with wide eyes looking like a child who was given candy. It was kind of embarrassing, really.

However, as soon as any question about Alex’s past came up, the boy just shut down. He refused to answer any questions about where he was from or why he moved to their sleepy little town in Virginia. The only question related to Alex’s past that the boy answered was when Lafayette casually asked him where he had learned to speak French. Alex had immediately tensed up, but answered the question curtly, albeit fondly with: 

“It was my mom’s first language, so she taught it to my brother and I.”

His eyes went soft when speaking about his mother, which also raised more questions about who Alex really was. His hesitation to answering the group’s questions did not change any opinion they had held about him, obviously; they still adored Alex, even only having met him that day, and they would all have to simply gain Alex’s trust.

Lunch had been almost over when Alex met the one and only Aaron Burr. 

Hercules had warmly shouted Burr’s name across the cafeteria, and said boy had rolled his eyes and slowly walked up to their table, looking unsure about his decision of enlightening the three. He finally made up his mind, and swiftly sat down besides John and glanced at their newest member.

“And this is..?” Burr had said, looking disinterested and shooting a disgusted glance at Hercules’s and Lafayette’s embarrassing flirting. 

“Alexander Hamilton, but call me Alex.” Is what Alex had responded, holding out a hand for Burr to shake. The latter boy hesitated, and warily looked up at Alex’s stretched out hand. Alex immediately tensed up and gave an inquisitive glance at Burr, but did not put his hand away, eyes sparkling, as if ready for a challenge. 

John looked like he was in the midst of a battlefield, Burr’s icy stare and Alex’s challenging look clashing and forming-

Maybe this is what Hercules had meant when he had said John takes things too metaphorically. 

Of course, the events happening between Aaron and Alex only lasted a few seconds, as Aaron finally shook Alex’s hand firmly. 

“Aaron Burr. Welcome to Yorktown High.” Burr’s tone held a stiff formality, as if he was meeting someone way more important than the new kid. 

“Well then, Burr, sir! It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Alex said brightly, eyes still shining with that challenging look of his. 

Aaron had rolled his eyes at the rhyme and muttered a “you too”, busy looking across the cafeteria for something that had caught his interest. 

He stood up abruptly, and had halfheartedly said goodbye to the group when he left the teeming cafeteria and ran out to the hall. 

“What’s his deal?” Hercules asked, munching on what was left of his sandwich.

“Aaron is a strange one, who knows what is up with him.” Lafayette answered, shrugging. 

Alex hummed from his spot, still looking at the place where Aaron was last seen before he rounded out the corner, disappearing from view. 

John was very confused, to say the least. 

The rest of lunch went by smoothly, with Alex and John joking around and making fun of Lafayette’s and Hercules’s weirdly embarrassing pickup lines they had made up. 

It was nice, John thought. Alex had fit in perfectly with the trio, and the others seemed to really like him too. Of course, Alex still remained a mystery to them, but they could wait for Alex to open up more. They had time.

“Hey Alex, we were all planning on hanging out at my house to work on some homework later, would you like to join us?” Lafayete inquired, looking up at Alex with curious eyes. 

Alex hesitated, and John swore that he could see the gears going on in Alex’s brain. He looked unsure about his decision, but he ended up consenting, only stating that he had to be home by 6:30. 

The rest of the day went by fast; John had two other classes with Alex, though they didn’t talk much and after school the trio met up outside on the parking lot.

Per usual, they took Laf’s car to the Washington household. Except now, they had one extra member in the group. Alex was quiet throughout the whole ride, looking troubled and worried. 

John wanted to ask Alex what was wrong, but he barely knew the boy, and from the knowledge he did hold of him; Alex most likely wouldn’t open up about what was troubling him. 

So John just kept talking to Laf and Herc, laughing along to whatever it is they were saying, pretending not to glance at Alex from the corner of his eye. 

They finally arrived at Laf’s house, and as they stepped out of the car and walked up the threshold, Alex asked:

“Are you sure it’s not a problem that I’m coming over Laf? I don’t want to get you in any trouble or anything, and I don’t know if Washingto-“

“Mon ami, these two come over every day, there is nothing to worry about.” Lafayette interrupted Alex’s rambling with an easy laugh.

Alex nodded, but still looked unsure. Herc must’ve noticed it, because he wrapped an arm around Alex’s shoulders in a show of camaraderie, and led the way towards the front door.

“Martha! I’m home!” Lafayette shouted, walking into the living room and setting their things down next to the couch. 

“How was your day sweetie? I assume John and Herc are with you?” Martha called out from the kitchen. 

“Yes ma’am” John and Herc said at the same time. 

A set of footsteps could be heard, and soon, Martha popped in to view. 

“Oh! And who is this?” Martha smiled sweetly at Alex, who glanced up at her and gave her a tight lipped smile.

“Alex. Alexander Hamilton ma’am.” Alex introduced himself for the hundredth time today. He shook Martha’s small hand, who was still smiling up at Alex. 

“I won’t keep you lot any longer then” She smiled softly at the four and turned back to the kitchen. Before she could disappear from view, however, she asked, “Will any of you be staying for dinner?” 

The group glanced at one another, John and Hercules nodded that yes, they would be staying, but Alex shook his head, just stating, once again, that he had to be home by 6:30. 

Martha smiled once more, and soon disappeared back into the kitchen. The four teenagers then turned and went up the stairs to Laf’s room. 

While the Washington household wasn’t necessarily large, John wouldn’t have liked it any other way. 

It wasn’t bright and shiny, the floors weren’t perfectly polished. Upon entering the house, the first thing one would think is how well-lived in it looks. It’s a beautiful kind of messy; one that makes you seem right at home even at first glance. 

The four decided on watching a movie upon entering the room, sitting down comfortably against the wall next to Laf’s bed. 

“I still cannot believe you have never watched The Little Mermaid, mon ami!” Lafayette exclaimed, clapping their hands in excitement at the prospect of getting to watch the movie. 

Alex merely shrugged, smiling coyly at Laf before turning back to the screen. 

The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur. Having finished the movie, the group started on their homework, (well, Alex mainly read a book; he was already done with all his assignments, to no one’s surprise) and soon after started playing video games. They were so absorbed in their intense round of Mario Kart, that no one even noticed the clock ticking past 6:30. 

It was only after Hercules had proclaimed victory from all of them, quite loudly stating that “they were all losers, and he was the only real winner, thank you very much.” that someone finally noticed it was getting pretty late. 

“Hey Alex? Weren’t you supposed to be home at 6:30?” Hercules asked Alex, who was once again reading his book. 

Said boy looked confused at first, frowning at Hercules, and staring at the clock with the numbers “6:40” standing out against the quickly darkening room. As soon as the boy’s mind made sense of what was happening, he had jumped up, and with wide eyes started frantically searching for his belongings. 

“Shit, shit, shit..” Alex had started muttering to himself while frantically pacing along the room, still looking for the rest of his stuff. 

The rest of the group only stared; confused as to why Alex would have such a bad reaction to being a few minutes late. Surely it wasn’t that big of a deal. 

The quiet was only broken when Lafayette stepped up to help Alex gather his backpack sitting in the corner of the room. 

“Do you need a ride or something? I’m sure Martha wouldn’t min-“ Lafayette started asking, awkwardly following Alex down the stairs as the latter boy sped towards the door. 

“Uh.. no, but thanks, Laf. I don’t live too far from here. Herc, John, I’ll see you guys tomorrow..?” Laf started opening the door for Alex, who was still in a rush to put his shoes back on and looking ready to bolt as soon as possible. 

“Tell Mrs. Washington thanks for letting me stay over.” Alex was still rambling, stepping out of the house and looking behind him at the three very confused looking teenagers. 

“Um.. bye?” He shrugged, waving halfheartedly at them before jogging down the driveway and out towards the street.

The three were still standing by the door when Hercules spoke up, 

“What in the world was that all about?” 

Lafayette merely shrugged, frowning at the spot Alex had once been standing in before he left. The three were once again silent, minds processing over what had just happened in the last minute. 

“Dinner’s ready!” Martha called out from the kitchen. 

Breaking from their trance, the three started laughing hysterically, as if still in shock about the events from this afternoon. 

“Well then, let us go eat!” Lafayette exclaimed merrily, shutting the door and making their way towards the wonderfully smelling kitchen. 

John grinned, and followed Laf to the dining room, feeling oddly comfortable in his makeshift family. 

And as Mr. Washington came home, grinning broadly at his wife and setting down his things to greet the cheery teenagers in his home, everything seemed fine. Everyone was happy, and their day back to school couldn’t have been more perfect. 

John just couldn’t keep his mind from Alex though. He thought back to when Alex had left the Washington’s home. His look of panic at simply losing track of time, his jumpiness, and closed off self was pretty odd in itself. Of course, he practically didn’t know anything about the boy, and he obviously couldn’t make any assumptions, but John worried. 

He’d just have to wait until tomorrow, then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, please leave a kudos or a comment or something! (those make my day; you guys seriously don’t know how happy they make me) 
> 
> Also, if you ever wanna message me, or wanna say anything or whatever my tumblr is @bettinap14 !! (don’t mind all the stuff on my blog it’s mostly just inside jokes with friends haha) 
> 
> Once again, thank you so much for reading, (I really should go back to those missing geometry assignments. oops?) and I’ll see y’all next time!


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